Easter ceremonies

This weekend over a billion people will be celebrating Easter, arguably the most important event in the Christian calendar. In this programme we hear about Easter ceremonies in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and encounter some interesting vocabulary relating to religion.

Listen
	Easter ceremonies

Vocabulary from the programme

to crucify
to kill someone by attaching him or her to a wooden cross

crucifixion
noun form of 'to crucify'
e.g. 'Christians believe Jesus was crucified nearly two thousand years ago'
Note: When people talk about 'The Crucifixion' they always mean the crucifixion of Jesus

to be resurrected
to come back to life after death
e.g. 'The Bible says that Christ was resurrected on the third day'

resurrection
noun form of 'to be resurrected'

Good Friday
The Friday Jesus is reputed to have been crucified; the last Friday before Easter Day

Maundy Thursday
The Thursday Jesus is believed to have been arrested; the last Thursday before Easter Day

service
here, a religious ceremony where people come together - usually in a church

blessed
an adjective meaning holy
Note: the pronunciation of this word as an adjective differs from the past tense of 'to bless', although the spelling is the same

the Blessed Sacrament
the bread and wine which is used in Christian ceremonies to represent Jesus, and which Catholics believe is the actual body and blood of Christ

to bless
here, to make something holy
e.g. 'The priest blessed the wine'

to sanctify
to bless
e.g. 'The food was sanctified by the priests before the feast'

Listen to these words

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Extras
Programme script (pdf - 20 k)
Download this programme (mp3 - 1.7 MB)

Some Links

Dima Kostenko's page
Easter (Wikipedia)*
Homepage of the Catholic Church in England and Wales*
About Eastern Orthodox Churches (Wikipedia)*
Homepage for Lichfield Cathedral*

* Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of external webpages